Ireland 2
Argentina 3
– Niall Kelly reports from the Olympic Hockey Centre, Rio de Janeiro
ARGENTINA BROKE IRISH hearts in Deodoro on Friday evening as the Green Machine’s Olympic adventure came to an end with a 3-2 defeat.
A barrage of penalty corners ultimately took their toll as goals from Juan Saladino and two from the lethal Gonzalo Peillat ensured Ireland’s elimination before the knockout rounds.
Craig Fulton’s side fought back to equalise twice and the game was poised at 2-2 inside the last 10 minutes, Ireland chasing the win they needed to advance to the quarter-finals at Argentina’s expense.
But Peillet was hero, firing the winner just 46 seconds after Shane O’Donoghue’s leveller had thrown Ireland a late lifeline.
Argentina had qualification snatched from them by Germany in the dying seconds of a 4-4 draw on Thursday, but if there was any hangover from that disappointment, the South American side didn’t show it in the opening quarter.
They bombarded Ireland from the off and found their breakthrough seven minutes in. Danger man Peillat’s initial shot was well-saved by the outstretched left leg of David Harte, but Juan Saladino was quickest to react and poked the ball over the line.
Only for Harte’s heroics, Ireland would have been more than a goal down at the end of the first quarter. He denied Peillat from three more penalty corners before the first change of ends, most impressively with a stunning double-save with two minutes remaining.
But Ireland weathered the storm and against the run of play, drew level five minutes before the break. O’Donoghue’s shot from a penalty corner was blocked away by the Argentinian defence, only for the video review to show that it had struck a foot.
Given a second opportunity, Ireland made no mistake, and all-time record goalscorer John Jermyn zipped his shot past keeper Juan Vivaldi.
The reprieve was only temporary and Argentina, stung into action, were back in front two minutes later. There appeared to be a mix-up in the Irish penalty corner defence, offering Peillat a huge space on the left side of Harte’s goal; he didn’t need to be asked twice.
For all their dominance, Argentina’s lead at the break was a slender one and left Ireland with hope. Lucas Rossi had the best chance of that third quarter after some slick build-up play, but his shot rattled the inside of Harte’s post and ricocheted clear.
As Ireland pushed numbers forward in search of an equaliser, Harte once again proved why he is the reigning World Goalkeeper of the Year, showing excellent reflexes as he pawed away Augustin Mazzilli’s mis-hit shot as it threatened to squirm past him.
Less than two minutes later, Ireland were level again, a clever penalty corner play freeing O’Donoghue who made no mistake with the shot.
It sparked hope of a heroic Irish comeback but before the vocal travelling fans could dare to dream, Peillat struck the winner to send Argentina through.
IRELAND: D Harte; Jackson, Gormley (c), Gleghorne, Harte; Cargo, Jermyn, O’Donoghue; Watt, Darling, Good.Substitutes: Bell, Magee, Shimmins, Sothern, Carruth.
ARGENTINA: Vivaldi; Peillat, Gilardi, Ibarra (c); Ortiz, Rey, Brunet, Rossi; Callioni, Paredes, Vila.Substitutes: Rey, Lopez, Menini, Saladino, Mazzilli.
Umpires: Simon Taylor (NZL), Paco Vazquez (ESP).
